Neil Elthorne had hard work to control himself for, paradoxically,
although Nurse Elisia was the most likely personage for Sir Denton to
send down to attend his young friend's father, it had never once
occurred to him that she would be chosen.
"I am glad you have come," he said quietly. "Ah, here is my aunt," he
continued, as that lady appeared. "Aunt, dear, this is Nurse Elisia,
from the hospital. Will you see that she is shown to her room and has
some refreshment before she comes upstairs?"
Isabel, looking very white and careworn, joined them as he spoke, unable
to withdraw his eyes from the countenance which filled so large a
portion of his meditative hours, but the nurse met his eyes calmly and
turned and bowed to Aunt Anne and Isabel in turn, the former lady
seeming quite taken back by the attendant's appearance.
"I don't like the look of her at all, Isabel, my dear," she said, as
soon as they were alone. "I expected she would look like a nurse, not
be a tall body like that."
"She seemed very nice, Aunt, dear," said Isabel quietly, "and of course
she will be a very skillful nurse. I thought she looked very tired, but
her face seemed to me quite beautiful."
"Good-looking, not beautiful, my dear, and that's it. I always made a
point of never having good-looking servants in the house, especially as
there are young men about."
"Aunt!"
"Oh, yes, you may say `Aunt,' my dear, but you do not understand these
things. Good-looking servants always know it, and give themselves
airs."
"But this lady is not a servant, Aunt."
"Don't talk nonsense, Isabel," said Aunt Anne tartly. "She is a
servant, and she is not a lady. I can't help it, my dear; I don't like
her at all, and I hope she will prove to be so dissatisfied, when she
finds what she has to do, that she will want to go back to town at once.
There's too much of the fine madam about her for me."
"Sir Denton would not have sent down a person who was not quite
suitable, Aunt," said Isabel gravely. "If she nurses poor papa well
that is all we want."
"Yes, my dear, but will she? There, I can't help it; I must speak
plainly. I am the least suspicious woman in the world, but I do not
like a surprise like this being sprung upon us."
"A surprise, Aunt?"
"Yes. Why did not Neil tell us what sort of a person this woman was
going to be. He knows her, of course. You heard him call her by name."
"Aunt, dear, of what are you thinking?" cried Isabel wonderingly, and
giving her aunt a strangely perplexed look.
"Oh, nothing, my dear. There, I suppose I must see to her having some
tea when she comes down. She will have her meals with the servants of
course."
"Has Nurse Elisia come down yet?" said Neil, entering quickly.
"No, my dear," said Aunt Anne, pinching her lips together.
"You have given orders for refreshments to be brought up to her?"
"Indeed no, my dear. I was just going to ring and tell them to get
something ready in the servants' hall."
Neil's countenance changed.
"No, no," he said harshly.
"My dear Neil, she cannot have her meals with us."
"I cannot see why not," he replied sternly. "But she will not wish to
leave her patient. Have one of the dressing rooms set apart entirely
for her use, and all her meals can be taken to her upstairs."
Isabel looked at her brother in surprise, his manner seemed so changed.
"Oh, very well, my dear," said Aunt Anne in an ill-used tone as she rose
to ring the bell, but was forestalled by her nephew. "I always thought
when I came here that I was to take the entire management of this
establishment, but your father always interfered, and now that he is
helpless, I suppose you, as his eldest son--"
"Why, dear Aunt," said Neil, "pray do not think that I wish to
interfere, but you do not understand Nurse Elisia's position. She is
our principal lady nurse at the hospital, one in whom Sir Denton Hayle
places every confidence, and whom he treats almost as a friend."
"Oh, indeed!" said Aunt Anne. "I was not aware. Why did you not tell
me before, my dear, who was coming down?"
"For the simple reason that I did not know, Aunt," said Neil quietly.
The footman, who had been waiting, signified his presence by a faint
cough, received his orders, and left the room.
About this time Alison, who had been seated alone in the little study,
smoking and trying to read, suddenly threw the book one way, the end of
his cigar another, and rose with a yawn.
"Tired out and sleepy," he muttered. "Last night to make up for."
He seated himself on the table, and began swinging one leg about.
"Wonder how the guv'nor is," he said to himself, "and I wonder what he
would say if he had seen us this afternoon. Those girls are giving
themselves fine airs of their own. Miss Dana is siding with her sister,
I suppose because Neil is so careless. I can't help it. No fault of
mine, and if she thinks I am going to be snubbed and treated just as she
pleases, she is mistaken. The money's all very well, but I'm not quite
the easy-going fool she seems to think me. Hang me, if I go for a ride
with them again till I'm treated better."
He gave his leg a sharp slap as a sudden thought struck him.
"That's it!" he cried. "I never thought of it before. It's Master
Burwood's doing. That accounts for his being down home instead of in
town. He wouldn't hang about so much on account of our Isabel. The
governor's made all that too easy for him. And they knew it, and
there's a sort of an idea that it would be nice to be my lady. Would
it? Well, I'm not so stupid as they think me, and people get checkmated
sometimes in a way they little expect."
He swung his leg about swiftly for a few moments, and then leaped off
the table.
"I'm going to bed," he muttered. "Just see how the governor is as I go
by, and--" he yawned--"oh, dear me! how sleepy I am."
He went out into the hall, and then, after pausing to listen to the
murmur of voices in the drawing room, he shook one hand.
"Good-night, and bless you all," he said softly. "That's old Neil's
voice. Look out, my lad, or you will lose the volatile Saxa. I suppose
Aunt is with the old man."
He began to ascend the broad staircase very slowly, his steps being
inaudible on the thick soft carpet, and he was about half way up when he
became conscious of the soft rustle of a dress, and a faint glow of
light passing along the gallery at the head of the stairs.
He stopped short on the landing, half startled as, in the centre of that
glow, and gradually coming nearer, he saw, standing out plainly from the
surrounding darkness, a clearly cut white face, that looked for the
moment almost unearthly; but as it came nearer and approached the head
of the stairs the half startled feeling gave way to wonder, and then to
admiration.
"Who is she? What does it mean?" he thought as he noted the eyes
glistening in the light shed by the candle, and the quaint white
headdress, the only part of the costume seen, the black gown being as it
were absorbed by the darkness of the great staircase and landing.
The figure came nearer and as she reached the top of the stairs began to
descend, holding the candlestick so that it was between her and Alison,
and hence she did not see him, where he stood on the landing half way
down, till she was close upon him, when she stopped short and raised the
light so that it fell upon his face, and they stood gazing at each
other.
Nurse Elisia was the first to speak, just as she became conscious of
Alison's admiring look.
"I beg pardon," she said, "would you kindly show me the way to the sick
room."
"The nurse? You?" cried Alison eagerly.
"Yes; I have just come down from town," she said quietly.
"Yes, of course," said Alison eagerly. "And you must be tired and
faint. Had any dinner? Here, come with me, and I'll show you the way
to the dining room."
Nurse Elisia hesitated, and at that moment the drawing-room door opened,
shedding a flood of light upon the portion of the staircase where they
stood, and Neil Elthorne was conscious of a keen pang which for the
moment he could not have explained.
"Oh, there you are," cried Alison sharply. "This lady does not know the
way."
Aunt Anne's lips tightened again as she stepped forward majestically.
"Will you come this way, nurse, and I'll show you my brother's room,"
she said; and her dress rustled loudly, as if partaking of its owner's
agitation, while she crossed the hall and began to ascend the stairs.
Nurse Elisia stood, candle in hand, waiting patiently and gazing at the
plump elderly lady approaching her, in profound ignorance of the
picturesque, striking aspect she presented as she held up the light
whose rays illumined her features.
"I really don't like her at all," said Aunt Anne to herself, as her brow
furrowed. "What a dreadful looking woman." And the memory of certain
words she had spoken to her niece only a short time back came vividly
before her. "I would a great deal rather it had been one of those
old-fashioned stout nurses who did not wear white starched caps and
black dresses, just as if they were playing at being nurses. This way,
please," she continued aloud.
One minute the light shone strongly upon that white face; the next it
seemed as if darkness had suddenly come over the scene and those in the
hall were looking at two silhouettes moving up after a dull glow of
light, to disappear through an archway; and then Neil Elthorne felt a
pang of rage and misery shoot through him as, from the first landing of
the broad staircase, he heard Alison exclaim aloud:
"By George!"
He descended then quickly to where Neil and Isabel were standing.
"I say," he cried banteringly, "so that's the modern style of nurse.
Neil, old chap, is there any room for me to walk your hospital? I'm
coming up to study medicine."
Isabel looked curiously from one to the other in the semi-gloom; and, as
she saw her elder brother's face, a feeling of dislike to the newcomer
which she could not have analysed arose within her, and she started as
she heard the deep, hoarse tones in which Neil spoke.
"Is not this ribald style of talk out of place when our father is lying
up yonder in so dangerous a state?"
"Oh, rubbish! He's getting better. But I like your taste, I must say.
Capital judge of nurses. Neil's own selection, Bel."
Neil turned upon him sharply, as if about to speak, but he compressed
his lips and went to the foot of the stairs.
"Going up?" said Alison laughingly. "Come along, Isabel; we'll go, too.
I want another look at our new nurse."
Neil made an angry gesture. "Isabel," he said hoarsely, "take no notice
of him. You had better not come up now."
As he spoke he began to ascend, and Alison was silent till Neil reached
the top.
"Was that the doctor talking, or brother Neil?" he said sarcastically;
but there was no reply, for the young surgeon had gone on slowly toward
his father's chamber, with a strange, sickening feeling of misery and
despair at his heart, as he felt that, in spite of all his resolutions,
a bitter fight was commencing against fate, one which threatened to be
complicated in a way that was horrible to contemplate. For his
brother's countenance, as he saw it for one brief moment when he was
watching the figure on the stairs, had impressed him in a way which was
startling, and as he reached the door, he stopped on the mat listening
to a faint murmur, while his brow became furrowed and he muttered.
"Am I so helpless? Have I no will, and do I really love this woman
after all?"
He paused, gazing back along the passage to where he could see the dim
reflection of the lamp in the hall, and as he stood there, the faintly
heard voice of Nurse Elisia came once more to his ear. He drew a long,
deep breath, and then, half aloud:
"I had not calculated on this," he thought. "I fled from the
temptation, and it has followed me here. And she--she has never given
me a second thought." He turned the handle quickly, and entered the
room.
"Ah, that is right, Neil," said Aunt Anne. "Will you stay here while I
take nurse to have some supper? She says she is not too tired to sit up
to-night."
"Absurd!" said Neil, in a low, harsh voice. "After this long journey?
Nurse, you will go with Mrs Barnett, and have some refreshment; then
get to bed, and come and relieve me about seven."
"But, my dear Neil, you, too, want rest," said Aunt Anne.
"Aunt, be good enough not to interfere," replied Neil shortly. "Nurse
Elisia, you heard my orders."
"Yes, sir."
"Oh, very well, my dear," said Aunt Anne, in an ill-used tone. "I
suppose you know best. This way, nurse."
Neil stood watching them as they left the room, and turned back toward
the bed with a sigh of relief.
"I have not lost my strength of mind, then, after all," he muttered, as
he drew himself up. "I will master it."
There was a faint glow in his pale cheeks as he spoke, but it died out
at once, leaving him haggard-looking and careworn, and his face grew set
and his eyes dark as he stood gazing straight before him, seeing neither
the bed nor the wall beyond, but the scene upon the stairs of the pale,
white face lit up by the caudle, while, a short distance below, stood
Alison, gazing up from the darkness.
Neil shuddered, closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them
again they fell upon the sleeping figure before him. And as he looked
down it was not with the eyes of man of science but of the son, thinking
of his father's plans. They had been children, and he had planned their
education according to an eccentric whim of his own; youths, and he had
principally chosen their career; they had reached manhood, and he had
settled who were to be the companions of their lives. And as he
thought, the faces of Saxa Lydon and her sister, followed by Sir
Cheltnam Burwood, floated out of the mental mist, and complication after
complication arose.
It was a dreary vigil, for Neil Elthorne was half worn out from broken
nights and a long period of great anxiety, which had culminated in the
arrival of the nurse; but not once through that long night did he feel
the desire to sleep, and he could hardly realise the fact that it was
morning, but stared and looked at her wildly when the door opened, and
light shone in that was that of the morning sun, throwing up the pale,
calm face of Nurse Elisia, who entered as if she were perfectly used to
the place, and bearing for his special use a small tray, upon which were
dry toast and tea.
Neil rose as she entered, with a whispered "Good-morning," and he felt
that he was trembling, and that he was only man, with all his
weaknesses, in spite of his stubborn resolves. But he was himself again
directly, as she spoke.
"The patient, sir," she whispered; "has he passed a quiet night?"
"Yes, quite," said Neil.
"May I open one of the windows--that farthest from the bed, sir? The
room is oppressive and faint."
"Yes, yes; of course;" he said hastily, and he hurried out of the room.